Centering device for car-couplings.



Patented Aug. 2|, |900.

E. F. CHAFFEE.

CVENI'EB'ING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLINGS.

(Application filed May 31, 1900.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT Ormea.

EDlVARD F. OHAFFEE, OF ALBANY, NEV YORK.

CENTERING DEVICE FOR CAR-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,438, dated August 21, 1900.

Application tiled May 31,1900. Serial No. 18,497. (No model.)

To alt whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. UHAFFEE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Albany, county of Albany, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centering Devices for Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to centering devices; and the object of my invention is to produce an attachment to a car which will keep the coupler at the center of the end of the car when at rest and when forced away from the center, as by going around curves, will return the coupler to the center. I attain this object by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-n Figure l is a plan view of my attachment at rest in normal position. Fig. 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 1 at X X in elevation. Fig. i is a plan view of my attachment when the coupler is moved to one side from the center.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. Y

A represents the head block or beam across the end of the car to which the hanger is attached, upon which the coupler rests.

B is a hanger within which the coupler rests. C is a stationary bed-plate in said hanger, and D is a movable table or plate resting upon the stationary bed-plate. The dotted lines E in Figs. l and 4t represent a coupler as ordinarily used. The plate C is held stationary on the bottom of the hanger B by the bolts M M or by any suitable means, and the rear side or end of the bcdplate C is raised so as to equal in height the top face of the plate D and is formed with curved recesses P P in the rear corners. It also has an opening O in the back raised end for the eyebolt F to pass through. The movable plate D may be of very much the same form as the stationary bed-plate C. lt rests upon the stationary plate C and has curved corners d d, which fit into the curved recesses P P of the bed-plate C, so as to turn upon them as pivots in either direction. It is also provided with projections or buffers G G for the coup- 1er to strike against when forced one way or the other. The plate D is held in position by eyebolt F, being attached thereto by any suitable means, as by the key-bolt f, and extending backward`through the opening O in the raised portion of the stationary bed-plate C. This rod is provided with a coiled spring S. One end of the coiled springS rests in a recess in the back of the stationary bed-plate C and the other end against the bushing N, which in turn is held by the adjusting-nut Il on the end of the rod F. The adjusting-nut H may be held by the' lock-nut 'l or by any well-knownmeans.

The operation of my centering device is as follows: Any kind of a car-coupler, as in ordinary use, may be attached to the car in the usual way and rest upon the top of the Inovable plate D between the buffers G G. When the cargoes around a curve or from any cause the coupler is forced to one side, it will strike one of the buffers G G and force the platcD to turn upon the pivot d upon the side to which the coupler is forced. This will draw the bolt F in toward the end of the car and through the opening O, and so will compress the coiled spring S, as shown in Fig. 4. When the force which moved the coupler to one side is removed, the coiled spring Will draw the plate D back into its original position, as shown in Fig. l, which will hold the coupler in the center of the car. When the cars are equipped with my attachment, as herein described, thc couplers will always be in the center of the car when it is desired to couple the cars together, and the cars may be coupled together upon curves as well as upon the straight track. Vhen the spring S becomes weakened by use, it may be readily tightened by the adjusting-nut Il, or the spring may be easily replaced by a new spring without removing other parts of the equipment. When the spring is properly adjusted, it may be retained in any desired tension by the lock-nut T or by any known means.

My centering device is simple, economical, and very effective. My device when attached to cars occupies less room than the attachments now in use and so interferes less with the proper arrangement of the steam and air connections and is very convenient and de-l sirable for practical use.

It is obvious that various modifications in the details of construction may be made with; out departing from the essential features of IOC) my invention, and I therefore do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to the precise details hereinbefore described,and shown in the drawings.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A centering device for a car-coupler consisting of a stationary bed-plate; a movable plate mounted thereon and adapted to turn on a curve With the coupler in either direction; and a spring connecting said movable plate with said bed-plate and adapted to return said movable plate into position when turned in either direction, substantially as described.

2. In a centering device for a car-coupler, a stationary bed-plate mounted upon a hanger undera car; a movable plate mounted thereon adapted to be turned on a curve horizontally a limited distance in either direction upon said bed-plate; a spring attached to said movable plate and bearing against said bed-plate, adapted to return said movable plate into position when turned in either direction, in combination with a car-coupler mounted upon said movable plate and adapted to turn said plate, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a centering device for a car-coupler, a stationary bed-plate mounted upon and secured to a hanger under a car, said bed-plate having curved recesses at its rear corners; a movable plate or table mounted upon said bed-plate, said movable plate having proj ections or buffers on each side and curved rear corners adapted to fit into the curved recesses at the corners of the bed-plate, said top plate or table being adapted to turn a limited distance in either direction upon said curved corners as pivots; a spring connecting said movable top plate With said stationary bedplate, and adapted to hold said curved corners of said top plate into the curved recesses of the bed-plate, and When the said plate is turned upon one of said curved corners as a pivot to return said plate again to position and a car-coupler adapted to rest upon said top plate between said projections or buffers, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a centering device for a car-coupler, a hanger under a car adapted to support a car-coupler; a stationary bed-plate in said hanger; a movable plate mounted on said bedplate and adapted to hold said coupler thereon and to turn in either direction of the said coupler; a spring connecting said movable plate with said bed-plate and adapted to return said movable plate into position when moved in either direction, and means for adjusting said spring to any desired tension, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

Signed at Albany, New York, this 21st day of May, 1900.

EDWARD F. CHAFFEE.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. WARD, MARY E. PARLATE. 

